Fastening for mailing-boxes



(No Model.)

. T. J. SODEN. ``r"AS].`El\TI1\Gr POR MAILING BOXES.

Patented Dec.l 16. 1890.

NVENTUH A UNITED VSTATE-sY PATENT Ormea.

THOMAS J. SODEN, OF. BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

FASTENING FOR MAILING-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 442,758, dated December I6, 1890.

I Application filed November 8. 1889. Serial No. 329,674. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concernf Beit known that l, THOMAS J. SODEN, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks for Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the means for detachably securing the cover to a box, the object being to furnish a box in which light, select, fragile, or similar articles may be safely transported through the mails or by the common carrier, the cover being fastened in such manner that if inspection of the contents of the box is desired it may be easily taken off and put back on the box and resecured thereto. This will permit of rapid and easy examination of the contents by postula-sters.

In the drawings,Figure l is a plan View of the box and cover, with a portion broken away to show more clearly the locking in of the parts. Fig. 2 shows avertical central section thereof, taken on the line m x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the cover removed and its locking device.

d is the body of the box.

b is the cover. To this cover I attach at opposite sides two hooks c c, formed in the present instance out of awire having its body at c running underneath the cover, bent upward and outward at the edges. These hooks engage with the upper edge of the body of the box. One of the wires of each of these hooks is continued some distance around the edge of the cover, so as to form spring-arms D D, which have sprilig-pressure in an outward direction. At e e on these arms there are formed loops by crimping in the wire. These loops e @and the spring-arms D D form a lock which serves to retain the cover rigidly in the box by the loops e e taking into holes or recesses ff, made in the body of thebox at opposite sides and a short distance below its top edge. The pressure outwardly of this spring-locking device serves to retain the parts in a locked position when the cover is in its place. The springing of the wires D e su me when the cover is removed from the box.

The outer ends of the arms D,itwill be observed, are bent inward from the wall of the box to formcatches CZ, by means of which the fingers can more conveniently get hold of the arms to withdraw the loops from their bearings in the wall of the box.

The operation of the device is as follows: The cover is inserted in the opening of the box, with the hooks c c resting on the top edge, and the projections e e in the lockingwires D D immediately opposite the holes f f in the Wall of the box. The projections e e are then sprung into the holes ff, which locking in of the parts firmly retains the cover in the box.` Then it is desired to remove the cover, with the aid of the finger pressing inwardly on the end of the locking-Wire D one of the projections e is Withdrawn from its hole in the wall of the box. Then by grasping with the fingers and pulling upward the hooks c c the cover can be readily withdrawn from the box. These hooked ends c c I prefer to constructall in one piece, as shown in the drawings, by passing the wire underneath the cover, as at c. They may, however, be attached to the cover in any other convenient way, the essential feature of this part of the lock being that they shall embrace snugly the upper edge of the body ofthe box.

It is obvious that my improved spring mechanism can be arranged to engage the inner surface of the walls of a square box equally as well as it doesthe box shown in the drawings, the spring-locki n g wires D e D e being made so as to conform to straight and angledv instead of rounding sides.

I claim-- l. As a fastener for a box-cover, the arms looped at one end to engage the edge of the box and secured at such end to the cover, and having at their opposite extremities the out.- wardly-bent loops to engage the wall of the box, substantially as described.

2. As a fastening for a box-cover, the combination of the hooks c, constructed to engage the edge of the box and connected by suitable means, each hook provided with the ex- 4. A fastener for a box-cover, having` the hooks c, engaging the edge of the box, and extended spring-arms D, having outwardlybent loops e to engage the wall of said box, and inwardly-bent ends d, forming fingercatches, substantially as described.

5. The combination, Wit-h a box and its cover, of the supporting-Wire having its body c attached to the cover, the hooks c, engaging the Wall of the box, and the spring-arms D, having the outwardly-bent loops e, entering holes f in said Wall, substantially as described.

G. The combination, with a box and its cover, of the improved fastening described, consisting of a single Wire bent to form the body, extending under the cover, thence bent upward and outward to form hooks extending over the Wall of the box, thence bent to form spring-arms lying on the cover and against the wall of the box, and outwardly-projecting loops engaging holes in said Wall, all substantially as described.

THOMAS J. SODEN. lVitnesses: A. M. TODD, J. C. WARD. 

